Police feel urban Naxal cadre instigated dalits

Nagpur: Following the interception of some documents of a meet held in Pune on December 31, security agencies suspect that urban Naxal cadre may be behind the dalit agitation that led to a Maharashtra bandh on Wednesday. The papers are also in the possession of TOI.
The documents reveal how the entire Bhima-Koregaon episode was planned, executed and fanned across the state by leaders of Naxal front organizations under government scanner, said the police officer.

A large number of agitators, allegedly behind the "garb of activists championing the cause of the backward classes", ensured that the police machinery is cornered and government suffered losses.

The front organizations have now coined a term 'neo-Peshwai', said the senior IPS officer. The word 'Peshwai' refers to the so-called oppressive rule of the Peshwas in their heydays.

"As per our security agency reports and records, many front organization leaders who were present at the 'Yalgar Parishad' held at Shaniwarwada in Pune on December 31 are directly or indirectly connected to Naxalites," said the officer on condition of anonymity and added, "Naxalites either infiltrate such anti-government movements or trigger such sentiments as observed in past analysis of such violence."

Sources from security agencies pointed out that a literature circulated among the front organizations prior to the 'Yalgar Parishad' stated 'Sabak diya hai Bhima-Koregaon ne, nai Peshwai dafna do kabrastan me' (lesson was taught to us by Bhima-Koregaon, bury the neo-Peshwa rule).

According to police, the key person behind the bandh call is a close relative of Milind Teltumbde, the former secretary of the Maharashtra state committee of the Maoist and presently a central committee member. He added that Teltumbde is also related to a top frontal leader who was present at the Pune meeting.

A Nagpur-based senior woman member of a front organization too was part of the parishad. The special branch at Sitabuldi police station had a few months back prepared a report against her along with evidences. However, no FIR was registered.

According to a security officer, the organizations had a well-crafted plan. The journey started from Nagpur towards December-end with a call to take inspiration from Khairlanji (where a dalit family was wiped out years ago) and advanced towards Bheema-Koregaon.

The core group covered Karanja Lad, Badnera, Sindhkhedraja, Jalna, Aurangabad, Ahmednagar before reaching Pune. During the journey, they highlighted the exploits of the Mahars in British Army against the dominant ruling class.

Senior officials have claimed, on the condition of anonymity, the aggression of the agitators and their attempts to fuel the mob fury against public properties are tell-tale symptoms of a Naxal influence in urban centres "which is evident in the documents that we have so far intercepted during various operations across the country".

A senior police officer, engaged in combating Naxalism in the state, said the documents seized earlier from Gadchiroli show the Naxals' "intention to wage a war" against RSS ideology, the BJP-led and Hindutva-driven governments at the Centre and state, and their policies.

DGP Satish Mathur said that he had no time to react on these issues when a bandh was being observed in the state.

State Anti-Naxal Operation (ANO) chief Sharad Shelar sounded unclear on the involvement of the Naxal front organizations in the Bhima-Koregaon incident. "It is too early to comment on the issue. The Pune police are conducting an investigation," he said.